PHILIPPINE AIRLINES Customer Reviews and Passenger Trip Reports

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PHILIPPINE AIRLINES customer review : 9 October 2008 : by T Amandito

Customer Rating : 2/5

SIN-JKT A330. This was the worst experience flying on a business class. When we Checked-in, they lose my wife and my name on the database, staff was telling me that we got a guaranteed seat. 10 minutes later, they told me that we had to wait for 15 mins more before check-in closed, due to full flight. Onboard the flight, service and food were pathetic, they took very long to serve the food and it doesnt resemble a business class service. Crew couldn't even smile or at least pretending to be cheery. I guess you pay peanuts, you gets monkey.

PHILIPPINE AIRLINES customer review : 29 September 2008 : by Brett Watson

Customer Rating : 3/5

MNL - Cebu and return business. Fine for a short domestic flight. Lounge in MNL average but provided basic requirements - Cebu even less so. 737 MNL - Cebu and Cebu - MNL A300. Food very average on both flights. FA's polite and friendly also. Probably average value at best for a one hour+ business flight.

PHILIPPINE AIRLINES customer review : 18 September 2008 : by Mark Hurter

Customer Rating : 4/5

HKG-MNL, MNL-TAG and TAG-HKG via MNL. All flights on time with even early arrivals. Unfortunately had checked luggage so had to wait for took some time on all airports. Requested an emergency exit on all legs and was given it. First time had an FA telling people to carry bags on the front of the body while boarding. Good meal choice on HKG-MNL and MNL-HKG legs. MNL-TAG-MNL usual PAL domestic snacks served, though quantity varied and less items than before but tastier. FAs a mixed bag. From very friendly and helpful to having an attitude and better not being there. Most belonged to the first group. PR 306/307 is often flown by the B747 that has a big Y class section. A bit of a beef up to the cabin would do good as everything was fine but some small things look a bit tired. Connection from Domestic to International Section of Centennial Terminal was easy and a huge advantage for PAL over foreign competitors. (Cannot comment on transfers of 5J as they have concentrated all flights to NAIA 3.) Just do not forget to fill in the departure form which is not nowhere mentioned. Ground staff was nice as well. At least I did not see any signboard. In all good value for money, punctual, friendly and had an enjoyable journey.

PHILIPPINE AIRLINES customer review : 19 August 2008 : by Don Tan

Customer Rating : 3/5

MNL-HKG Boeing 747-400. Check-in at the Centennial Terminal was okay since we came early. Finding a seat was hard, since there was no wall dividing the gates. Flight was okay. For some reason, my seat didn't have an adjustable headrests. Footrest was defective, and pillows smelled weird. Shanghai-MNL Airbus A340. Overall, I think PAL deserves to be a 3-star airline.

PHILIPPINE AIRLINES customer review : 12 August 2008 : by Jay Mantuhac

Customer Rating : 2/5

SFO to MNL in economy class on ageing Boeing 747. IFE was very poor, they only showed 5 movies throughout the 12 hour trip. In between them was the airshow. FAs looked middle aged and gave bad service. The aircraft looked very dirty. The only good part of PAL was the food. I would say it was pretty good especially their hot breakfast served on my return trip 2 hours before landing. Based on everything I said, I wouldn't fly Philippine airlines again.

PHILIPPINE AIRLINES customer review : 12 August 2008 : by A Solapco

Customer Rating : 2/5

MNL-LAX-MNL economy. Plane interior keeps on deteriorating every time I fly. There are personal televisions but they are not working - so there is a common TV in flight but the remote control/earphone plugs are not working. The foldable foot rests are broken too. Some attendants are nice but some are rude (the newer/ ower ranked attendants are usually the kind ones)! Maybe they should start upgrading their planes and amenities!

Philippine Airlines customer review : 22 May 2008 : by A Richards

Customer Rating : 3/5

MNL-DVO Mabuhay class on A340. Seats comfortable and flight departed on time. Inflight service consisted of a hot snack and soft drink. Flight attendants not overly friendly. Nice spacious business class cabin and low price worth the extra over economy from a comfort point of view. Yes I would fly PAL again on domestic routes as sometimes they are as cheap as Cebu Pacific Air. Overall experience was ok, nothing more.

Philippine Airlines customer review by J Broome

19 May 2008  Customer Trip Rating :

Hong Kong - Manila return. Not too much wrong on the first leg except for the configuration of the seating is poor - legroom in economy is less than Cathay Pacific. Cabin staff not the best in the industry by any means. Return leg, an ageing 747. Cabin crew a lot worse than the flight out. But both journeys within 10 minutes of take off and landing times!

Philippine Airlines customer review by J Olfato

5 May 2008  Customer Trip Rating :

MNL-CEB-NRT, NRT-MNL business to Tokyo, economy to Manila. Although it is better than other options, as it takes off from the much better NAIA Centennial Terminal, the service has gone from bad to worse in the past years. During check-in, despite booking business, they did not check me all the way to Tokyo, so I had to go down in Cebu, get my luggage, then check-in again. Unfriendly ground staff told me it was standard procedure, but when I complained in Cebu, they told me there was no such rule. Business seats not good, and entertainment options very average. Ground staff are terrible! In Narita, the queue is a mess, and you have to wait for one hour to check-in. The economy seats were bad, and the flight attendants on this leg was unprofessional. They spent most of their time gossiping and ignoring customer requests.

Philippine Airlines customer review by R Ben

19 March 2008  Customer Trip Rating :

MNL-HKG RT on PAL's ancient 744s. Typical PAL service, efficient but not too friendly. On international flights, PAL seem to deploy the very senior flight attendants. Food was average. Service on the ground was quick, given the small size of PAL's terminal in Manila. If flying on a budget, PAL is worth the try.

Philippine Airlines customer review by L Balonan

17 March 2008  Customer Trip Rating :

Business class Manila to Hong Kong. Acceptable Mabuhay class lounge, however not enough seats. Food served was the same as those in domestic Mabuhay lounge, sufficient but nothing to rave about. No shower facility. Business class is in the first class cabin of a refitted 747 from some other airline - spacious cabin with cradle-type seat. Comfortable for the short flight. Food served is not the same as that of economy class as was commented by some previous post. Food although plenty was not remarkable, in fact I felt the fish that was served had a very strange taste (not rotten). Service was above average.

Philippine Airlines customer review by G Hanson

12 March 2008  Customer Trip Rating :

SYD-MNL 747 business - seats older style but comfortable, food quite enjoyable, service ok. MNL-MLB- SYD economy seat fine, meals poor to average, Philippine airlines just cant get the service right. Service is reasonably efficient but just not customer friendly.

Philippine Airlines customer review by W Pollitt

19 February 2008  Customer Trip Rating :

LAX to MNL first class - comparable to business class on most Asian airlines. Seats are of the old style but seem to be comfortable and easier to sleep in compared to the tilt of the shell type seats. Excellent service which was a surprise. Food on both segments excellent Philippine dishes, average Italian dishes. Amenities containing socks, toothpaste, toothbrush, cologne. I used the first class perk of a free Limo service to my hotel. But to be honest, would have been better to pay a taxi and get to my hotel instead of waiting 45 minutes which was a car similar to a taxi. Return to LAX. Flew into MNL on a economy flight from BKK. Service from attendents on return average, programmed meal breaks and checking on passengers - not like excellent service on my arrival flight. Lounge at LAX was disappointing considering and others share the same lounge. Finger foods and drinks. PAL lounge at MNL, less finger foods and can become crowded as departure time nears. Considering the cheap prices compared to other airlines, I would use PAL again.

Philippine Airlines customer review by J van Marle

7 February 2008  Customer Trip Rating :

Manila-Tagbilaran (Bohol). We just walked into the airport and asked for seats for this flight - the flight was full but the booking office at MNL sold us seats on the waiting list and despite the flight being overbooked by 8 seats we got on in the end. New plane, smooth flight. Food served was inferior - sweet light nasty crackers and some gooey snacks in plastic, not really food. Flight on time, and for 65 euros for a single last minute ticket I would use them again.

Philippine Airlines customer review by A Bauzon

10 January 2008  Customer Trip Rating :

MNL-LAX-MNL. Philippine Airlines flies 747 and A340 for this route. It is advisable that you take the A340 flight as it is gives better legroom and comfort - 747 is cramped. PAL offers moderate in- flight service. Attendants do not offer drinks throughout the flight. PAL's advantage is its direct service to Los Angeles and back.

Philippine Airlines customer review by U Lao

8 January 2008  Customer Trip Rating :

A320 MNL-GUAM-MNL, aircraft looked new and modern, and they provide Inflight entertainment for the 3.5 hours flight to Guam. Food respectable and service average. Good pillow, blanket and reading materials. Its cheaper than most airlines and is only a few dollars more expensive than budget airlines like Cebu pacific but the service is like North and south.

Philippine Airlines customer review by R Jamison

1 January 2008  Customer Trip Rating :

PAL sells its first class product for less than many airlines charge for business class. The seat is basically a business class seat. The in flight entertainment is pretty basic. The seat is more comfortable than United Airlines business seat and on par with Continental's and similar business first products. The service was attentive and cheerful. First Class check-in in Manila was hassle free and included a uniformed valet to carry my bags. It's not First Class on Singapore Airlines, but dollar for dollar, it's a great value.

Philippine Airlines customer review by C Fonde

26 October 2007  Customer Trip Rating :

LAX-MNL-LAX in Business Class. A340 in Business Class was clean and seats comfortable. The footrest was a bit short, but not a major inconvenience. FA's attentive, food terrific on both flights. On return, our connecting flight from Iloilo to Manila was delayed 24 hours prior to departure, which seemed a bit puzzling to us. We re-booked an earlier flight to Manila, and spent 8 hours in the Manila Mabuhay Lounge, which was comfortable, and served some nice snacks and drinks. This was my first experience on an Asian carrier.

Philippine Airlines customer review by P Mallari

17 October 2007  Customer Trip Rating :

Manila to Hong Kong. Arrived at airport to find they had cancelled flight without notifying passengers. They transferred the 13 passengers to a Cathay Pacific flight in a different terminal. No PAL official accompanied. Security refused to let us into terminal. PAL neglected to notify Cathay of the transfer leading to much confusion and ill will. Last time we fly with these incompetents.

Philippine Airlines customer review by J Abarone

30 September 2007  Customer Trip Rating :

MNL-SFO on business class. Checkin was fast but the Mabuhay Lounge in NAIA T2 was very crowded and small, SFO mabuhay lounge was more comfortable. The plane was an old 747 and the seats were tired and some features are not functioning anymore. The in-flight entertainment was comparable to the economy class of other carriers. No AVOD and the screens were small. The food was great though. FAs were nice but were lukewarm at best.

Philippine Airlines customer review by Ewan Barr

23 July 2007  Customer Trip Rating :

HKG to MNL Business Class. All flights on time and a decent in-flight service for a short flight. Outwards on a band new A319 and back on a tired 744, albeit in the old First Class section. Nothing to fault particularly as good value compared to Cathay Economy (much the same price), but the in-flight entertainment is very poor. You do get to use the newer terminal in Manila (T2), which is also a bonus compared to T1. Good value overall but probably not that great for long-haul flights.

Philippine Airlines customer review by Allen Enriquez

20 June 2007  Customer Trip Rating :

MNL-LAX on a tired 747, legroom was not very good. LAX-MNL return on an Airbus 340 was better in terms of legroom and personal space. Flight staff did not exhibit the level of service compared to other Asian carriers. Flight attendants were only available when serving meals and made themselves scarce thereafter. PAL's only advantage is it offers the only non-stop flight from Manila to LAX, but service needs a lot of improvement.

Philippine Airlines customer review by L Custodio

14 June 2007  Customer Trip Rating :

KIX-MNL Economy class on Airbus 320. The last time I took PR was way back November 2004 (MNL-SIN-MNL). Coming from Noumea, our connection was in Osaka. Crew very polite, helpful and hospitable. Nice food. Good leg room in economy class. Very good food and service.

Philippine Airlines customer review by Anthony Gob

1 May 2007  Customer Trip Rating :

MNL to SIN return. Check-in took 20min due to number of passengers. Cabin crew was efficient but some are serious doing their job. IFE was not that good. On the Changi airport our luggage was delivered right away with no hitches. On the way back was upgraded to Business class. The legroom was very decent and seats roomy and comfortable though the headrest is quite uncomfortable. This time cabin crew was better - friendly, efficient and smiling.